


Treasures Shared

by carolej126



Category: The Magnificent Seven (TV)
Genre: Family, Gen, Magnificent Seven AU: Little Britches ATF
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-14
Updated: 2015-06-14
Packaged: 2018-04-04 10:45:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4134564
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/carolej126/pseuds/carolej126
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Originally published in Magnificent Kids 13 (Neon Rainbow Press, 2010)</p>
<p>Vin takes a big step.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Treasures Shared

Chris watched silently from the doorway, as Vin carefully pulled the box out from its hiding place, tucked under his folded shirts and jeans in the bottom drawer of his dresser.

The small boy held the box carefully, almost reverently, stroking it slowly with the tip of his finger, before heaving a soft sigh. Then, taking something out of his pocket, he carefully opened the lid of the box, slipped the item inside, and closed it again.

Chris recognized the box immediately. It had been with Vin from the very beginning. In fact, it had been one of Vin’s possessions even before he’d come to live at the ranch with Chris, before he and JD had been rescued from the warehouse where the orphaned boys had lived. But, in the two months since their arrival, the box had never been opened in Chris’s presence, and even though the box obviously held something of importance, at least to the little boy, the contents of the small container were still a mystery to Chris. 

“Chris?”

The quiet voice pulled Chris from his thoughts, and he looked across the room. 

Vin was standing motionless next to the dresser, the box still held in his hands. As Chris took a step forward, the little boy moved his hands behind his back, placing the box out of sight and into a place of protection.

Chris sighed, Vin's reaction forcing him to remember the circumstances of his new son's arrival in his home, his life, and his heart, before pushing those thoughts away, determined to focus on the here and now.

“I just came up to tell you dinner’s ready.”

“Chris…” Vin’s voice trailed off, and he hesitated, pursing his lips as if in thought. “Chris, I…”

Larabee knew better than to make a move, say anything. If Vin had decided that now was the time to reveal the contents of the box, that was fine. If he wasn’t yet comfortable enough with Chris to share whatever it was, that was fine as well.

He simply gave Vin a smile of encouragement and waited. 

It seemed like it took forever, but finally the small boy smiled back, the uncertain look on his face giving way to one of trust, and Chris’s heart soared.

“Would ya…” Vin started. He brought his hands forward. “Would ya like to see my treasure box?”

Chris nodded, knowing what a big step Vin had just taken. “I’d love to see your treasure box. In fact, I think dinner can wait a few minutes, don’t you?”

The little boy smiled as Chris perched on the edge of the small twin bed. Carefully reopening the box, Vin took out one item at a time, looking up into Chris’s face as he shared each special treasure with the man who had not only taken him in, but filled that empty place in his heart.

 

~end~


End file.
